Australian meteorologist Nate Byrne had a panic attack on live TV. What we can all learn from his 'masterful' reaction.
On Monday, Australian meteorologist Nate Byrne was giving the morning forecast when he informed the audience he needed to “stop for a second” because he was having a panic attack, as shown in a clip posted to ABC News Australia’s Instagram. Before calmly asking his colleague Lisa Millar to take over, Byrne addressed the audience. “Some of you may know that I occasionally get affected by some panic attacks, and actually, that’s happening right now.”
Millar quickly jumped in and directed viewers to the story Byrne wrote about his first panic attack, which happened while he was on air. “It’s fantastic that he has been so open and transparent about it,” Millar said. Later in the broadcast, Byrne rejoined Millar in the studio, laughing with his colleagues and sharing that he was grateful for their support.
His panic attack sparked a conversation online about the importance of transparency and support around common mental health issues. Commenters praised the news team for how they handled the situation, the “effortless transition” and talking openly about panic attacks. “This is the BEST thing I’ve seen in ages,” one remarked, while another wrote: “This is gold standard on how to handle mental health advocacy WHILST supporting a colleague having a panic attack.”
Whether you’ve never seen a panic attack before or have experienced them yourself, experts say there are some lessons you can take away from Byrne’s experience.
What is a panic attack?
A panic attack is an extremely intense but brief and non-life-threatening period of fear and discomfort. “Panic is really the essence of the fear response,” psychologist Kevin Chapman tells Yahoo Life. “The difference is that a fear response is a ‘true’ alarm; you’re actually in danger and therefore your body is responding to prepare you to deal with threat.”
On the other hand, a panic attack “is what we call a ‘false’ alarm,” says Chapman. “You’re literally having the fear response when there is, in fact, no threat, but your body has an all-or-nothing system, so therefore it’s going to respond as if you’re in a fire.”
Chapman thought the way Byrne and his colleagues handled the meteorologist’s panic attack was “masterful,” adding: “People have this ominous perception of panic attacks, especially if they’ve never had one,” he explains. “The way he conveyed himself and the way his colleagues handled it ... they decreased the stigma, and they demystified what happens during panic.”
Echoing Chapman’s sentiments, psychologist Sanam Hafeez says that Byrne and his colleagues serve as a great model for others. “The fact that [Byrne] shared it with them and his audience in advance made the situation easier for him to handle in the moment,” she tells Yahoo Life.
What does a panic attack feel like?
The symptoms of a panic attack include a racing or irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, dizziness, difficulty breathing and an upset stomach. You may suddenly feel sweaty and hot or cold. “Two symptoms that are really scary are depersonalization — an out-of-body experience — or derealization, which is the feeling that the things around are not real,” explains Chapman. It can feel like you could be having a heart attack, even though you’re not, and you may have some or all of these symptoms, he adds.
During a panic attack, cortisol and adrenaline flood the body, but only briefly. A panic attack typically peaks within 10 minutes, although many people feel they last “hours,” according to Chapman. That’s because residual stress hormones hang around for a while, but this tail end of discomfort likely won’t be nearly as intense as the panic attack itself.
Chapman says that there’s no correlation between panic attacks and heart attacks. But living with chronic stress can raise your risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and other serious health issues, according to Chapman and Mayo Clinic.
Anyone can get panic attacks — but there’s a prerequisite
“Panic is an equal opportunity employer,” says Chapman. That’s because we all have the same limbic system regulating our emotions and reactions to the world around us, and it has the potential to go haywire in anyone. Panic attacks are also common. As many as 11% of people in the U.S. have a panic attack in a given year, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Chapman notes that while women are somewhat more likely to report panic attacks, such incidents may be just as common among men — they’re just not talking about it as much. That’s why Chapman was particularly happy to see Byrne opening up about his panic.
While a panic attack can strike anyone, anxiety is a necessary ingredient. As Chapman puts it, “anxiety always primes the pump for panic attacks. You cannot panic without anxiety being present.” Panic comes on when anxiety turns to overwhelming fear.
Panic attacks may feel random, but they’re not
It’s a “myth” that panic attacks come out of the blue, Chapman says. In reality, these attacks are usually prompted by one of two triggers, he says.
Thoughts that something might be scary — for instance, being on camera isn’t dangerous but may be nerve-racking — can be a subtle trigger of panic. Or you might have a physical sensation, such as your heart skipping a beat or sudden stomach pain, that reminds you of panic and that becomes a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. Chapman explains that thinking about an uncomfortable sensation can intensify it, “which leads to more negative thoughts, and that spirals into full-blown panic.”
The subtlety of these triggers makes it feel like they occur “without warning,” says Hafeez. “This unpredictability can make panic attacks particularly unsettling, as individuals might find themselves overwhelmed by fear and physical symptoms even when there seems to be no immediate cause,” she explains.
How to get out of a panic spiral
Panic attacks may feel impossible when you’re in the middle of one, but Chapman always recommends two simple steps:
Breathe. Inhale through your nose for four to six seconds, and exhale through your mouth for another four to six seconds. Repeat this 10 times. “Breathing correctly is a portable tool to help you remain in uncomfortable situations,” like a crowded place that may be triggering your panic, says Chapman.
Focus on something outside yourself. Chapman notes that focusing on your own discomfort and scary thoughts is a hallmark of panic attacks. But you can start to shift your attention to something external to “ground yourself in the present moment,” he says. Try some grounding techniques, like focusing on something you notice with each of your five senses.
If you find yourself around someone who’s having a panic attack, you can take a cue from the ABC News Australia team and help them out. “The best thing others can do is to stay with the person and keep calm, reminding the individual that it will pass soon,” advises psychologist Bunmi Olatunji. “Remember, panic attacks peak at about 10 minutes.”
